An Attempt At An Apology
by KatySummers
Summary: Steve has nightmares still, and he's annoyed at Tony for never sleeping, or coming to bed at all. Tony attempts to apologize, and Steve has a brilliant idea.


Steve panted, a cold sweat breaking out over his body. Bucky. He had to save Bucky. He just needed to reach just a bit further. Their fingertips barely brushed. He had to save him. This was entirely his fault. He couldn't let his only friend die. He needed Bucky, he was always there when you needed him. He saw the terror in his best friend's eyes just before his grip slipped. He screamed as he saw him flail through the air. His scream echoed in his ears.

"BUCKY!" Steve screamed into the darkness. He shot up in bed, sheets tangled around his leg and shirt soaked through with sweat. He was panting hard and tears were flowing freely from his eyes. He felt toward the other side of the bed, "Tony," he whimpered, but all he felt were cold sheets. Damn him. He was working still.

"Sir Tony has been his workshop for 11 hours and 10 minutes, Sir. He has been notified of your wake," said Jarvis's disembodied voice. Steve rubbed his face; a few stray tears still lingered on his cheeks. He took a deep breath. Tony would be here in a moment. He was such a jackass, but he was the only one who could calm him down after a nightmare. He flopped back down onto the bed after pulling off his soaked shirt and waited for Tony to console him.

"Steve?" Tony called from the hallway, feet pattering on the hardwood. "Steve," he said into the bedroom as he opened the door. He walked toward the bed and sat on the edge next to Steve. The faint blue glow of the arc reactor was calming to Steve, and Tony cupped his cheek in a calloused hand and wiped a tear away. "Steve, honey, are you okay?"

Steve's eyes flew open and he sat up again, "I'd be okay if you didn't work all night," he said accusingly, "but it's 2 a.m.!" Tony rubbed his forehead.

"I know, I know. I just can't shut down my mind and – and I get these ideas and," he looked over at Steve who was still visibly shaken. He frowned. He really hated not sleeping in his bed with Steve, but he just couldn't shut down sometimes. Steve pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, and Tony couldn't bear the adorable pout on his boyfriend's face. He took off his ratty t-shirt and wiped the grease from his face and hands best he could. He stood and untied Steve's way too big sweatpants and let them fall to the floor. He wasn't wearing boxers but he knew Steve wouldn't mind.

Tony gently pushed Steve back unto the bed and crawled over Steve's broad chest, straddling his hips. He scooted down until he could rest his head on Steve's chest, and he felt strong arms encircle his middle and Steve buried his face in Tony's hair. He took a deep breath. The smell of Tony could always calm him down; coffee, grease, and sandalwood. "You're such a jerk," Steve whispered into his hair.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," he nuzzled into Steve a bit more and Steve lifted the duvet over the both of them.

"You better," Steve said yawning and drifting off to sleep again.

**~8~**

Steve awoke to the smell of coffee and . . . something burnt? That wasn't right. Tony's cooking abilities stopped at coffee and cereal and if something was burnt, then that means Tony was trying to make something. This couldn't be good. He groaned and sat up, not bothering to put on pants or a shirt before padding to the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and smiled at the sight of Tony, clad only in a shirt of Steve's that covered just past the curve of his ass, trying valiantly to flip a horribly burnt and disfigured pancake. Steve couldn't help but smile and silently walk over to Tony at the stove. He wrapped his arms around Tony, making him jump.

"Shit, Steve," he gasped, looking over his shoulder at Steve kissing the back of his neck. "It was supposed to be a surprise.

"Mmm," he said looking over at the plate of charred pancakes and he couldn't help but laugh. He heard Tony huff in frustration, but Steve just tuned off the stove and turned Tony around in his arms. He saw Tony tilt his head up for a kiss, so Steve averted his mouth and gave him a tiny kiss on the nose.

"A very sweet gesture, but I was hoping to wake up with you in bed," he said nuzzling Tony's cheek, "because I never get to just lie in bed with you."

Tony huff and stood on his tip-toes so he could lick a line from Steve's collarbone to his ear, making him shudder. Tony smiled and tried again, but Steve placed his large hands on Tony's shoulder to look him in the eye.

"I was thinking we could just watch a movie or something," Steve said with his sweetest, most innocent smile, "like, that Star Wars thing you keep talking about?"

Tony's face instantly it up, he kissed Steve on the cheek before running toward their bedroom, "You grab snack and I'll get the movies ready," he yelled behind him to Steve.

Steve just laughed and shook his head, grabbing some coffee and a lot of food for his and Tony's movie day.


End file.
